Maple Leafs climb back into series with a little bit of luck(The Star Toronto Raptors)

17 april 2018 04:55:11

It took a bit of luck — and two goals from Patrick Marleau — but the Maple Leafs got themselves back into this Stanley Cup playoff series with a 4-2 win Monday night over the Boston Bruins.The Bruins might argue they deserved a better fate: they hit posts, and maybe were called for a delay-of-game penalty they didn’t deserve that turned into a Toronto goal.But the bottom line was a Maple Leafs victory, cutting Boston’s lead in the best-of-seven series to 2-1. Game 4 is Thursday at the Air Canada Centre and now Game 5 is guaranteed Saturday in Boston when Nazem Kadri’s suspension will be over.Read more: Opinion | Bruce Arthur: Leafs back on track, just in timeMaple Leafs release last-minute seats on the cheapPastrnak knows linemates have his backJames van Riemsdyk and Auston Matthews scored for the Leafs. Morgan Rielly had two assists and his best game of the playoffs.Frederik Andersen looked shaky on second-period goals by Boston’s Adam McQuaid and Zdeno Chara but he might have saved the game with a diving mid-air stick save on David Pastrnak late in the third.Eyebrows were raised when Tomas Plekanec was given the assignment on the second line — between Marleau and Mitch Marner. But he got the job done, with Boston’s top line of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and Pastrnak — who’d racked up 20 points in the first two games — were kept off the scoreboard.And Plekanec stole the puck at the Leafs’ blue line with about four minutes to go to set up Marleau for Toronto’s fourth goal and some breathing room.The Leafs had incredible moments of luck, especially early in the third when Marleau took a penalty on Marchand and holding a 3-2 lead. It was Boston’s first power play, but the Bruins had five golden scoring opportunities, hitting the post twice.The Leafs were amped up and hopeful coming into Game 3. The message was anything can happen, that Boston had done what the Bruins needed to ...